Lauderdale County couple creates endowed scholarship at MSU-Meridian

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A new endowed scholarship will benefit students enrolled in the Division of Business at Mississippi State University’s Riley campus in downtown Meridian.

The Mr. and Mrs. M.L. Waters Mississippi Power Endowed Scholarship has been established at MSU-Meridian by M.L. and Kim Waters of Meridian.

M.L. Waters, a 1978 MSU management graduate, is the secretary and treasurer of family-owned Waters International Trucks Inc. His wife and fellow graduate, Kim, earned an accounting degree from the university in 1981.

The scholarship includes a matching portion from the Mississippi Power Foundation, where M.L. Waters has served on Mississippi Power Company’s board of directors since 2010. A subsidiary of Southern Co., Mississippi Power supports employees, retirees, and board of directors’ contributions to educational institutions like Mississippi State and other public universities through their educational matching program.

“The generous gift for the Waters Mississippi Power Endowed Scholarship exemplifies the values and commitment of M.L. and Kim to quality education in their area,” said Allison Pearson, professor and interim co-dean of MSU-Meridian.

“They have been longtime supporters of MSU-Meridian, and they are role models for our students.”

Candidates for the Mr. and Mrs. M.L. Waters Mississippi Power Endowed Scholarship must be full-time students pursuing their studies through the Division of Business. Recipients of the scholarship must be Mississippi residents.

For more information on creating scholarships through MSU-Meridian, contact Josh Thompson, the Meridian campus development director, at 601-484-0493 or jthompson@foundation.msstate.edu.

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